16168 research outputs found
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Genomic insights into Vaccinium spp. Endophytes B. halotolerans and B. velezensis and their antimicrobial potential /
No full textPlant microbiota contributes to nutrient absorption, and the production of hormones and vitamins, and plays a crucial role in responding to environmental stress. We hypothesized that Vaccinium spp. harbour a unique microbiota that enables them to coexist in extreme environments such as saline, nutrient-poor, and waterlogged conditions. Upon examining Bacillus spp. endophytes isolated from blueberries, cranberries and lingonberries in vitro, we identified B. halotolerans (Bil-LT1_1, Bil-LT1_2) and B. velezensis (Cran-LT1_8, Ling-NOR4_15) strains that inhibit the growth of five pathogenic fungi and five foodborne bacteria. Whole-genome sequencing provided insights into genome organization and plasticity, helping identify mobile elements and genes potentially acquired through horizontal gene transfer. Functional annotation identified genes associated with plant colonization, stress tolerance, biocontrol activity, and plant growth promotion. Comparative genomic analyses revealed key biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) responsible for producing antifungal metabolites, including lipopeptides and polyketides. Genes supporting plant nutrition, growth, and environmental adaptation were present also in these strains. Notably, isolated endophytes exhibited particularly high levels of genomic plasticity, likely due to horizontal gene transfer involving gene ontology (GO) pathways related to survival in polymicrobial and foreign environments
A review on computer-aided diagnostic system to classify the disorders of the gastrointestinal tract /
No full textVarious diseases, such as colon cancer, gastric cancer, celiac, and bleeding, pose a significant risk to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which serves as a fundamental component of the human body. It is less invasive to observe the inner part for disease recognition by using endoscopy and colonoscopy devices. Gastroenterologists consider the increased frame rate in video endoscopy to be challenging when it comes to identifying pathological findings. The detailed examination requires an experienced gastroenterologist. The ordinary procedure takes much time in disease classification. A machine-learning-based computer-aided diagnostic system (CADx) is in high demand for helping Gastroenterologists diagnose GI tract diseases with high accuracy (Acc). CADx takes very little time in diagnosing diseases and supports the training of clinicians. With the assistance of a gastroenterologist, CADx has an impact on reducing the mortality rate by finding diseases in their early stages. In an extensive examination of CADx, the focus is placed on ailments affecting the GI tract, various imaging methods, as well as diverse forms of CADx and techniques. These encompass preprocessing, feature extraction (both handcrafted and deep learning features), feature selection, and classification. In addition, future research directions in the area of automatic disease identification and categorization employing endoscopic frames are being looked into based on the existing literature
Postbiotics: an insightful review of the latest category in functional biotics /
No full textPostbiotics have recently emerged as one of the latest functional food products due to the ever-evolving landscape for microbiome-targeted health interventions. Postbiotics, along with other functional biotics, viz., probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics, confer their health benefits mainly via the modulation of the gut microbiota. Postbiotics are considered more promising than probiotics as they elicit similar effects, despite being inactivated, thus relegating concerns of strain activity and stability that have been raised about probiotics. This review attempts to provide critical insights into postbiotics by firstly revising its definition to create a streamlined framework for further discourse on the interplay between postbiotics, nutrition, microbiota, and health. Similarly, this review establishes the nexus between postbiotics and probiotics while highlighting that postbiotics can also be derived from other microbes apart from lactobacilli such as yeasts and fungi. Furthermore, an overview of the extraction and production of postbiotics are presented as well as the biochemistry of short-chain fatty acids, enzymes, peptides, polysaccharides, peptidoglycans and teichoic acids, which have all been identified as postbiotic components. Finally, their bioactivities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, anti-hypertensive, antimicrobial) and the patent landscape of postbiotics are evaluated to promote its innovative applications in the food, veterinary, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Having identified major gaps and areas of improvement, it is believed that this critical review will serve as a guide in the increasing effort to advance the industrial potential of postbiotics
Development and research of technologies and methods of electro-flocking in the decoration of packaging products /
No full textThe aim of this work is to analyze the modern electroflocking technology and to develop a new method for printing a color image on white flocked material. For packaging material, High Density Fiberboard (HDF) with a 3 mm thick white painted coating was chosen. Printing was carried out using DTI InkTec sublimation inks on an Epson L132 inkjet printer, followed by image transfer in an Amazon MAX 400C heat press. The image was applied to a 0.5 mm thick SEF FiberPlus thermal transfer sublimation flock film, which contains exclusive polyester microfibers and 100% polyurethane resins. Cutting of the packaging components was performed using a TS1390 CO2 laser cutting machine with a wavelength of 10.6 µm. Image quality was evaluated using operational control scales. Microscopic photographs were taken at 60x magnification. Image fixation in the heat press was done using the following parameters: transfer temperature 170°C, transfer time 40 seconds, and pressure 3.0 bar. As shown by microscopic studies, the reason for the reduced optical density of the printed image with sublimation inks on flocked film is its high porosity. Therefore, to enhance the decorative effect and give the packaging an attractive velvety appearance, it is advisable to use a combination of printing on flocked material with cutting out several differently shaped and colored images from the flocked material
Hybrid manganite-graphene sensor for magnetic field magnitude and direction measurement /
No full textIn this work, we present a novel hybrid magnetic sensor that combines the unique properties of manganite and graphene to measure both the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field. The sensor consists of a nanostructured manganite film to detect the magnetic field strength and a graphene layer to determine the angle between the magnetic field and the sensor plane. This dual sensor approach increases sensitivity over a wide range of magnetic field strengths and provides directional information, making it ideal for applications such as object positioning and navigation. The sensor design, based on a voltage divider configuration, has been optimized to achieve high sensitivity. Experimental results in pulsed magnetic fields up to 21 T demonstrated the increased sensitivity offered by the graphene-manganite combination. In addition, a measurement system for recording and processing data was developed that enables real-time measurement of the magnetic field magnitude and its orientation
Performance analysis of solar collector integrated with porous metallic foam /
No full textThe use of solar energy is a promising solution to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Flat-plate collectors (FPCs) are commonly employed to harness solar energy, but their performance is often limited by thermal resistance, surface deterioration, and inefficient heat dissipation. This study investigates the performance enhancement of an FPC integrated with porous copper foam through numerical simulations. The porous foam increases surface area and improves heat transfer by creating a complex flow path for the working fluid. Key parameters such as the porous foam height ratio (S), Darcy number (Da), and volumetric flow rate ( .V ) are analysed to determine their impact on thermal performance. The results indicate that a maximum Nusselt number (Nu) of 28.85 and an outlet temperature of 306.81 K is obtained for S = 1. A decrease in Da from 10−2 to 10−6 and an increase in .V from 0.25 L/min to 1 L/min enhance the Nu by 5.7% and 8.8%, respectively. The friction factor (f ) increases with increases in S, a decrease in Da and an increase in .V . The performance evaluation criteria (PEC) are obtained to be maximum at S = 0.4, Da = 10−2 and .V = 0.25 L/min. These findings demonstrate the potential of porous copper foam in improving FPC efficiency
Non-invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure pulse waves from closed eyelids in patients with normal-tension glaucoma /
No full textBackground and Objectives: Normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) is a subtype of primary open-angle glaucoma characterized by progressive optic nerve damage despite intraocular pressure (IOP) remaining within the normal range. The underlying pathophysiology of NTG remains incompletely understood, and its diagnosis is often delayed due to the lack of a definitive screening tool. This study aimed to evaluate differences in intracranial pressure pulse wave amplitude recorded from closed eyelids between NTG patients and control subjects using a novel non-invasive monitoring technology. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, enrolling NTG patients and age-matched controls. Intracranial pressure pulse wave signals were recorded from closed eyelids using the ’Archimedes’ 02 device, which employs a highly sensitive digital pressure sensor and hydromechanical coupling for signal transmission. The amplitude of recorded intracranial pressure pulse waves was analyzed and compared between groups. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 30.0, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 140 participants were enrolled, including 68 NTG patients and 72 controls. After applying exclusion criteria, 63 NTG patients and 68 controls were included in the final analysis. The median intracranial pressure pulse wave amplitude was significantly higher in NTG patients (0.1326 a.u.) than in controls (0.0889 a.u.), with p = 0.01. Conclusions: These findings suggest that intracranial pressure pulse wave monitoring may serve as a potential biomarker for NTG. Further studies are needed to determine the diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of this technology for NTG detection
Investigating reinforcement shadow visibility on formed concrete surfaces using visual inspection and colour variation analysis /
No full textThe research presented in this article seeks to identify the possible causes of reinforcement shadows (RS) on the surface of concrete test specimen produced under laboratory conditions. Different hypotheses about RS were selected based on factory practices and simulated in the study. The test specimens were cast horizontally in contact with steel form-facing surfaces coated with a water-soluble release agent. In addition, two scenarios were analysed during specimen production: reinforcing mesh was fixed using plastic spacers or tie wire. The analysis of the reinforcement shadows was based on visual inspection, taking photos, surface moisture content measurements, and colour variation analysis using the Natural Colour System. It was concluded that RS, which are typically characterized by darker lines, can be defined by the percentage of black colour present in the shadowed area compared to the percentage of black colour in the surrounding area. This percentage can be quickly assessed on a factory scale using digital colour readers that provide timely information. The reduced concrete cover thickness from 35 mm to 10 mm revealed light horizontal dark lines on the exposed surface. It was hypothesised that the gap of less than 10 mm between the reinforcing bars and the steel form-facing plate, along with the sieving effect of the fresh concrete, can retard the cement paste hydration process, resulting in unhydrated ferrite phases that contribute to the dark colour of the unhydrated cement. The release agent sprayed on the steel form-facing surface straight through the reinforcing mesh created a RS effect of the reinforcement on the exposed concrete surface. The absence of a release agent under steel rebars decreased the wettability at the interface between the formwork and fresh concrete, resulting in dark lines during the curing process. It is important to avoid such cases when manufacturing precast reinforced concrete elements. Quantitatively assessing RS and proposing a standardized method for calculation and categorization could be a new research direction in the future
Operator-based approach for the construction of solutions to (CD(1/n))k-type fractional-order differential equations /
No full textA novel methodology for solving Caputo D(1/n)Ck-type fractional differential equations (FDEs), where the fractional differentiation order is k/n, is proposed. This approach uniquely utilizes fractional power series expansions to transform the original FDE into a higher-order FDE of type D(1/n)Ckn. Significantly, this perfect FDE is then reduced to a k-th-order ordinary differential equation (ODE) of a special form, thereby allowing the problem to be addressed using established ODE techniques rather than direct fractional calculus methods. The effectiveness and applicability of this framework are demonstrated by its application to the fractional Riccati-type differential equation
Feasibility of emulsion-filled pea protein-collagen-carrageenan hydrogel for 3D printing /
No full text1. Introduction. 3D printing is a novel approach for shaping foods, allowing precise control over shape, texture, and ingredient distribution, and creating customized food products for individuals with personalized nutrition needs (Pan et al., 2022). Among the various 3D printing techniques, extrusion-based 3D printing is one of the most widely used because of its simplicity and broad compatibility with diverse materials (Zhu et al., 2024). However, the rheological properties of 3D printing ink have specific requirements—the ink must exhibit lower viscosity during ejection from the 3D printer nozzle and regain higher viscosity after extrusion to maintain the shape and provide self-support for the printed structure (Sharma et al., 2024). Therefore, the printability of food is typically assessed through rheological measurements across three subphases: extrusion (flow properties), recovery (thixotropic behavior), and regeneration or self-supporting (structural stability), highlighting their critical role in successful printing (Derossi et al., 2024). [...]